27 February 2015
Newly qualified apprentice at high-precision technical moulding company Millennium Plastics Ltd, Vene Manutai-Esau, had the surprise of his life when he was awarded his trade certificate by Prime Minister John Key.
The Prime Minister presented Vene with his Level 4 National Certificate in Plastics Processing Technology while visiting Millennium Plastics Ltd to find out what makes the award-winning company tick in a constantly evolving sector.
Vene’s trade certificate is the result of intensive on-the-job training. It’s a career pathway he chose after attending Hamilton Boys’ High School.
General Manager Tony Rutz said Vene is just one example of how the company is recruiting, training and upskilling its employees to outpace New Zealand’s skills shortage and ensure Millennium Plastics Ltd continues to work at the top of its game.
“The strength of a business like this is its technical capability; so we have to have clever, capable people in our team with superior thinking skills and aptitude skills,” said Mr Rutz.
Vene has already had the full commitment of his employer through support and mentoring, on-job training, off-job training, and opportunities to learn new skills, and Mr Rutz said that’s just the start.
“The real icing on the cake will be Vene working as a Millennium Plastics technician, trained at an international standard. We’ve given him the pathway to get there, which is underpinned by a series of course work, online modules and overseas-based training,” he said.
Source: Plastics New Zealand
